Gael Monfils, 39, is the showman. “LaMonf” may never be elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, as he has only been as far as the semifinals in a Grand Slam event twice. Yet he is more beloved and well-known worldwide than the bulk of Famers, and nothing less than an icon in his native France. Ranked No. 200 on May 1st, you can bet Monfils will receive a gilded wild card into Roland Garros. And when his tournament ends, he will be awarded a sendoff worthy of royalty.
Monfils is much more than a showman. He has been a pioneer in the game’s changing demographics as well as a role model. He has carried the hopes of a nation on his slender shoulders and been the author of a multitude of unforgettable moments in the French capital. And has been the cause of much weeping and gnashing of teeth over the course of 17 editions of Roland Garros.
Although Monfils’ best performance in his home tournament occurred in just his fourth attempt — a four-set semifinal loss to then-No. 1 Roger Federer in 2008 — the one that still burns in so many memories took place in 2014. It was a quarterfinal duel with Andy Murray, a see-sawing, five-set thriller. The start was delayed by rain and the match concluded in the near-darkness at 9:42 pm, after Monfils had roared back from losing the first two sets to force a fifth. Alas, fatigue and the loss of visibility ruined the concluder, Murray winning in, 6-0.
Long (6’4”) and lean, Monfils has bagged 13 Tour-level titles. He reached a career-high ranking of No. 6 in November of 2016, but he’s well outside the Top 100 currently. Monfils has been injury-prone despite his sinewy strength: he has missed 13 Grand Slam events and withdrawn from events a record 35 times, and he’s been buffeted by shifting fortunes. Both conditions were caused or abetted by his explosive athleticism and signature, acrobatic style.
